Tractors are back on the streets of Szczecin. Another edition of the farmers' protest

On Thursday, farmers in tractors and flagged cars took to the streets of Szczecin. The participants wanted to draw attention to their demands. They oppose the Mercosur agreement, the Green Deal and the uncontrolled inflow of food from Ukraine. They argue that they are protesting not only on their own behalf, but also for the good of Polish consumers.

This version of the protest began on May 15. That's when the farmers arrived at the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Office. Deputy Voivode Bartosz Brożyński met with them and received their demands. Several tractors are still parked in front of the office building. On Thursday, the farmers intensified their protest because they believed that the government was not taking them seriously.

Piotr Kamiński, one of the leaders of the event, before the tractors left, said that farmers had heard from government representatives that their problems were known, but these declarations were not followed by any specific solutions that could help the Polish countryside. It is true that customs duties on goods from Ukraine are announced, but it is not known whether they will be introduced, and if so, at what level they will be set. Because if they are too low, Ukrainian goods will continue to spoil the Polish market.

- We want to be noticed more. What we are fighting for also concerns consumers - explained Piotr Kamiński. - When we joined the European Union 20 years ago, it was also about ensuring that food was of the best possible quality. That is why we have controls, lists of chemical agents, spray registers. A great many agents have been withdrawn in recent years. We are trying, adapting, sowing and cultivating what the Union requires us to do through eco-schemes, and then the border with a country outside the European Union is opened, and we are preparing free trade with Mercosur countries.

- The mood is somber - added Edward Kosmal from NSZZ "Solidarity" of Individual Farmers. - The problems are growing. Corporations in Ukraine produce food without any restrictions. While we are complying with restrictive restrictions, there is a free-for-all there. They are using substances that are not permitted in Europe. Therefore, by protesting, we are taking care of the health of the residents.

Several dozen tractors set off into the city from the ZUW building. The vehicles drove through al. Wojska Polskiego, al. Piastów, Brama Portowa, among other places. Wherever they appeared, traffic jams formed. So drivers driving through the center of Szczecin in the afternoon undoubtedly noticed the farmers' protest.

- Nine days have passed. No one has visited us - said Stanisław Barna, co-organizer of Thursday's event. - We want to sit down at the table, talk about Polish agriculture, about the problems of Polish carriers. We know that farms in Poland are going bankrupt. People are committing suicide.

Farmers announce they will continue protests. They are deciding in what form.©℗

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Earlier information

On Thursday morning, farmers began protesting on the streets of Szczecin. They oppose, among other things, the Mercosur agreement, the Green Deal, and free trade in grain with Ukraine.

Farmers first gathered in front of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Office, from where a long column of tractors, cars and other agricultural vehicles set off towards the city. At the front of the column, protesters carried a banner reading: "Let Brussels eat worms, we prefer pork chops and potatoes."

There are major traffic disruptions, which will intensify during the protest.

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Films: Dariusz Gorajski